Regulatory
Citation(s):
78.83.
Surface and coal protective casing and cementing procedures.
(j)
If it is anticipated that cement used to permanently cement the surface casing
cannot be circulated to the surface a cement basket may be installed immediately
above the depth of the anticipated lost circulation zone.
Question:
If
an operator wishes to install a back-up cement basket in the event that the
uppermost basket fails, what are appropriate set depths for each basket used?
Response:
Cement baskets are attached to the casing at
pipe joints, and so the location of the first basket should be placed at the
pipe joint immediately above the zone of lost circulation. The second cement basket should be no more
than one pipe section above the lowermost basket. Placing a cement basket near the surface and
leaving long sections of the surface or coal protective casing exposed to the
formation is not recommended.